Tartaros EX
by The wiErDos Association
Summary: When the plan for the dragons takes a different turn, Natsu will be taken in by his fellow Etherious. He will embark on a different journey alongside with his own guild as they take Earthland by storm. Join as they walk to become a guild that encompasses the true strength of the demon.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Heya guys. wiErD here. As promised on the poll, the standalone story about Natsu and his demons is finally here!**

 **Hope you like it ^^**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Mashima owns them all except my plots.**

* * *

 **\- 400 Years -**

* * *

...

 _I'm entrusting you to him._

...

The words of Zeref entered his ears as he stood in front of him, heeding his request.

"Do I even have the right? This boy is your little brother. It would be best if he were to be right by your side."

A flicker of doubt entered Zeref's mind, shaking his head sideways as a sign of refusal to his response. "My influence on death will only affect him. I do not wish to see any more harm to him or anyone else."

The man went silent. He could see the pained expression on the Black Mage's face despite not having to show any ounce of feeling, fearing that the wave of death might come swirling down on at him at any moment.

Even as someone _inhuman_ as him, the power of the god is not something to be tested with. How could such a person like him be punished with such a blasphemous curse? Is it natural for a family to save another of its kindred? He didn't know. He wasn't versed in the knowledge of human feelings. The laws of life and death pertain certain rules of tampering its concept. The methods, however, is not all accepted in the eyes of _God._

He stared at Zeref, specifically at his hands curled together, carrying a sleeping child. His eyes grew curious at its antics as the child accidentally sneezed in its sleep.

"This child has not been given a choice to live. Even with all my research, he could not be called human anymore." The Black Mage paused. "As one of my wishes, I simply want him to thrive normally until the day of the prophecy. At the very least, he would be able to live normally at your hands."

Zeref slowly carried the child in his arms to the man. The man showed slight hesitations but was able to accept it as the child finally lands on his own arms. The slight movement caused it to cry, much to his shock. Although, it ended as soon as Zeref lifted his hand next to its cheek, rubbing them softly as the child somehow managed to calm down towards to this response.

Although the man has not noticed it, a tiny smile took over the Black Mage's face as he let a little of his emotion to run through his lips. The man slightly panicked but Zeref reassured him as he quickly withdrawn his hand away from the child after it had finally gone back to sleep. His expression also drew back to its usual blank state to prevent any more of the deathly magic to run rampant.

"Igneel has given him the instructions needed for his development as a dragonslayer. From here on out, it will be on your own terms. As my last and final creation, he'll be able to erase all my mistakes or perhaps even my curse." He said, pausing midway before handing out a piece of cloth next to the child. "A parting gift from the red dragon. It may not be grand but it's worth giving from a dragon such as Igneel himself."

It's a white scaly scarf, made with such fine precision and delicacy. A cloth made from the scales of the red dragon carved off from its body. The color it once had vanished, turning it to a white color.

"And his memories?" The man asked.

"Wiped clean. Igneel had given him a spell where he can learn all his powers from the dragon side by instinct but all of his other memories will be erased from the time when he was with his family. It is better for him to not remember, lest it would provoke Acnologia."

"I understand."

Zeref nodded in affirmation to his response as he slowly turned his gaze away for a moment. "There's not much time. I'm afraid time is not our side. Do whatever it takes to protect him. Nurture him alongside with the others. This is my first and last order of you, Mard Geer Tartaros."

"Yes, Lord Zeref!"

And with that, a new day begins.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

The regions of an untouched forest lies a vast pasture for animals to thrive on. Trees grow undisturbed by the flames of war and animals of different kinds lived peacefully in a stable environment. A refreshing breeze sweep across the landscape, giving off a serene atmosphere for dwellers roaming below. Small water creaks served as a place of junction for both animals looking to sate their thirst and the mountains served as natural barriers against the outside world.

Mard Geer walked through the empty halls of his guild. The flying fortress, Plutogrim, sails through the landscape with moderate speed. A large shadow is cast down with its cuboidal shape as the giant demon soar across the blue sky. It acted as some sort of a miniature earth, except that it is shaped like a cube and has its own gravity―kinda similar to a planet but tiny in terms of astronomical scale.

It could even house a stable ecosystem due to the islands seen around it, surrounded by water as well.

The Underworld King carried the still sleeping child in his arms as he led down to a huge room. A series of furniture and other necessities are provided inside to accommodate the child. It was his idea to take a few observations on the human civilization in terms of lodging.

It may sound unlike for an Etherious but Mard Geer cared less of appearance of his race. The priority to raise his young master was his one and foremost goal; of course, the unification of other Etherious as well. Regardless, such concerns would not hinder him from raising the child.

He moved to a large bed, befitting royalty, disregarding the demon-like aspect. It's not surprising to set his young master this kind of furniture as he is to be the Master of this guild. Anything grand he will offer to him as if his loyalty depends on it.

Mard Geer settled Natsu down who seemed to be enjoying his sleep. No matter how peaceful it is, his memories will be like a clean slate. What happens from here on out will be the start of his life as the future master of the whole Etherious race.

A moment of silence went on as the Absolute demon stared at the sleeping child with careful eyes. How could such a small child like him have to suffer from the horrors of misfortune? He had heard of his history with Lord Zeref and how his untimely death caused him to go down and break the laws of life just to revive him.

A being so precious that he had to defy a god and suffer from his curse just to give him the life that he deserved.

Mard Geer pondered at the actions of his creator. Did Zeref think about the consequences that would come after him when pursuing down this path? Did he ever think about his own wellbeing when he created him and the other Etherious? The same thing he would've wanted to ask for the Fire Dragon King himself for raising him as his adopted son despite how short it is.

The demon didn't know but one thing's for certain... He'll be an important person in the future and it is his job to guide him towards that path as his caretaker.

 _A fine goal worthy of his contribution to his young master._ Mard Geer thought as he let out his confidence for a bit.

 _'However, with all these hollow halls inside our guild. It has to be brim with life.'_ He echoed his mind, turning towards the door leading outside. If he would have to create a guild for his young master, it would have to comprise with other people albeit, some fellow Etherious that he could talk to, however...

How is he gonna band the other Etherious under his master's banner? From what he remembered, Lord Zeref had scattered all his other creations during his research with the tampering of Ethernano. It's expected that some of the Etherious are out there, worrying their own petty matters. It'd be a waste to leave them be and run rampant around the continent.

Mard Geer placed a finger under his chin, posing a pondering posture as he decided on his first course of action. However, his thoughts were cut short as his eyes noticed the slight turn from the child. It looks like he had enough sleep and is about to wake up any moment.

A slight panic went over his system. Should he hide first? Or should he introduce himself without the need to conceal his presence?

The child flickered his eyes open, rubbing them softly to stave off the sleepiness lingering within. His first attention caught the dark room coupled with candles placed all over the walls. The lighting of the room seemed able enough to wander without the aid of a light source but still, the environment caused him to look confused.

"Where am I?" His first words hung in the air in silence.

At first, he thought there was no one around the room until his eyes caught a silhouette from the corner of the room, seemingly in waiting.

"Is someone there? I know you're there. Show yourself." The silhouette seemed to react enough to be noticed by the child as soon as it heard his orders.

After a moment of hesitation, the figure relented and slowly walked closer to be seen by the light. The child waited in the anticipation before his eyes caught sight of a tall young man. He wore a long, black jacket trimmed with light colored flame patterns reaching down to his feet. Inside it was a black v-necked shirt, lined in lighter color along with its light-colored pants that lay lazily over the top of a pair of black boots.

One noticeable feature was his dark purple hair tied in a very large pony-tail. Instead of being silky, it had a rather wavy and messy pattern. Additionally, his messy bangs slightly obscure his rather dark-slanted eyes as it stared at him carefully.

The child felt alarmed for a bit due to the heavy pressure emanating from him as a sign of defense mechanism but dissipated soon after as the man knelt right in front of him as if he was king.

"I am Mard Geer Tartaros. I'm sure you have a lot of question of why you're here but rest assured. Today, I'll be your caretaker and your right-hand man. Anything you might ask of me, I'll abide by it with the fullest extent of my abilities." He said so formally which took the child by surprise.

"I-I see... Well then, Mard Geer. Is it alright for me to call you like that?" He asked.

"As many time as you want, my master."

Disregarding his last remark, the child looked around. "Where are we?"

"You're in Plutogrim. Your home and your guild."

"My home..." He muttered as if lost in thought. Mard Geer kept his head facing the floor but gave a slight peek, noticing the confusion built around his young master's mind, as if lost in the conversation or perhaps at anything at all.

"It seems you haven't recalled your memories, young master. But I assure you that you have nothing to fear. You may ask me any inquiries you find wanting."

The child perked into attention as he turned his gaze towards his supposed caretaker.

"Then, who am I? What is my name?"

"Your name is Natsu Dragneel."

* * *

 **A/N: And there you go. For those of you asking about the plot, it will be different so expect some changes. Also, regarding time-travel, Natsu didn't follow the procedures of the dragon's plan so basically, he still lives 400 years before present day Earthland. Don't worry about his age, he can still live as a teenager even after 400 years since he is demon to begin with. Age is non-existent to them as far as I remember.**

 **See you guys in the next chapter. ^^**

 **\- The wiErDos send their regards...**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Heya guys. wiErD here. Chapter 2's here. Have fun and Happy reading everyone!**

 **Hope you like it ^^**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Mashima owns them all except my plots.**

* * *

 **\- Tartaros -**

* * *

Demons. They were an existence beyond explanation from the laws of the world. Some say they existed before man while some say that they were merely a legend born out from the collective conscience of mankind explaining the unknown fear.

Mard Geer wondered about his existence; his sole purpose to destroy his creator as well as his role in fulfilling _that_ wish was something he'd come into terms with after being brought into this world. The pieces of his body, with every fiber of it, made by ethernano have all been programmed by _his_ research alone. In due time, he would cross paths with his maker with the power to eventually destroy his existence. That much is why he had been created in the first place although right now, he doesn't have the power to do that nor does he have the motivation to do so.

Certain circumstances have been arranged and he's now being entrusted with the strongest Etherious in existence.

That... is something he should also bear in mind as his number one priority.

Nevertheless, even someone as he could not get used to the role. To be entrusted with such a task was not given or taught to his upbringing as a demon.

After all, what sort of madman would raise a demon that is capable of babysitting another fellow demon?

―Yes, calling him a demon would be such an understatement.

Each of the demons in the Book of Zeref has their own concept of calamities referred to as by humans in nature. His creation was based on the concept of death and time. As such, his capabilities isn't something to be underestimated with. In truth, his standing could come as next to his young master who was created as the strongest of them all.

Those were his thoughts as of now after the events that transpired between him and Zeref. It was only then it was cut short as he felt a light pull from his left hand, prompting him to turn away his gaze from the castle's ceilings and into the child walking beside him. A shade of pink hair captured his eyes along with a face of innocence.

Mard Geer initially mistook his appearance unbefitting of an Etherious. After all, who would even think about a little kid being born out of the strongest curse capable of reducing millions of people be this pure?

Apparently, they had been walking around the halls of the guild, presumably taking a tour for Natsu to be familiar with the place.

"What are you thinking about, Mard Geer?" The boy asked, curious after seeing his spaced-out expression.

"Nothing short of any concern, young master." He reassured. A light smile traced across his lips as he led him further to the large halls of the castle. They were currently walking towards the giant hallway as the boy skipped around in delight.

Mard Geer thought that it would be a good idea to teach him a few things aside from his demon training. Originally, this was a plan to prepare him in the future however, that doesn't mean that he will continuously devote himself to becoming the strongest demon.

The elder demon pondered about changing some of his upbringings for the boy and start learning about the human culture. While it may seem an unnecessary notion to impose on his growth as an Etherious, Mard Geer thought it would be necessary for him to live 'normally' as what the Black Mage had requested him.

Hmm... That might just be a good idea for his young master.

"There you go again... What are you really thinking about Mard Geer? I wanna know too."

"Ah, it's nothing really. Anyways, how is the tour faring so far? You're not scared, are you?" He changed topics, looking at the boy expectantly as he stared right back to his original gaze, examining the huge space surrounding the hall for himself.

"Not really... It's just that this place is big... I don't see anyone around. Are we the only ones living here? When I can meet someone?" A sense of excitement filled the child's face. Mard Geer caught sight of such an expression that he couldn't help but smile at his joyful mood.

"Now, now... let's take it easy. We'll have all the time we need to introduce you to the other Etherious."

"Ether―Eter―Erer... what?"

 _Oh, that's right. He doesn't know anything about their nature in particular._

Mard Geer thought about it for a while on how to shed light upon the boy about his origins. Telling him the truth might be quite too much yet showing him pieces of his nature would be a good thing for him to sink in all that information.

"You will meet them soon but first, we should explore around for a bit further. Wouldn't it be great for you to be familiar with your new home?" He noted as if stating a matter of fact. Natsu, being new to his surroundings, nodded cheerfully as he took hold of his hand and continued their pace.

Mard Geer was slightly surprised by the pull exerted from the boy though he hid his expression just in time as Natsu turned back with a smile. While he had no problems of his vigor, Mard Geer thought it would dangerous for a child like him to wander around recklessly.

"Natsu-sama, I would advise watching your―"

"Natsu." He replied swiftly.

"W-What?"

"It's Natsu. I don't want to be called like that! It's weird!"

"But you were born to be addressed as such. I don't see a problem with my way of talking to you, young master." Mard Geer insisted, holding on to the belief that the boy is to be someone whose existence should reign above all else even to them, the demons from the Book of Zeref. As he was the strongest creation, it should be natural for him to be called someone higher than him.

Unfortunately, the boy's attitude seemed to have not been relieved of his reason. Looking like one of those kids pouting at the face of their parents for not being able to believe what they say after seeing a fairy in a forest, Natsu puffed his cheeks towards Mard Geer.

"I don't want that. It's not right! Just Natsu is fine!"

"But I can't do that."

"Then I'll make you."

"W-What?"

"From now on, you will call me Natsu and that's final!" He said with finality, crossing his arms in a fit of stubbornness. Even Mard Geer couldn't resist an absolute order from him. Why would he be so persistent about the whole naming thing? Is he not brought up to learn the way of greatness?

"Will young master would suffice? At least, I want to address your name with little pride I can hold onto." This time, he decided to plea which was something unlike for an Etherious.

The pink-haired boy pondered, placing a hand under his chin before looking at the elder demon with a complicated expression. "You're really never gonna live it down, aren't you?"

Mard Geer offered no reply but merely swallowed his words down in silence. A few seconds passed and the boy finally relented, seemingly accepting his condition for addressing his name. "Okay, if that's what you want."

A slight smile traced onto his lips as the elder demon felt a light joy from his young master's agreement.

"Well then, let us continue our trip."

The two pressed on and not before long, Natsu spotted a figure right in front of them at the door leading further to other parts of the castle. The figure seemed to notice their presence as it turned around and revealed itself towards them.

She's a lean and tall woman, most notably having distinct feature of a half-human and half-bird. She possesses exceptional curvaceous body feature as seen from her large chest and voluptuous appearance alongside with a tight suit that covers it entirely, only to stop at her lower half. She also wears a purple striped jacket with flaring sleeves due to her hands in a form of a giant and sharp talons. On her head was an intricate helmet, covering the entirety of her face as only her eyes and mouth are seen in the process.

The woman took notice of their approach, mainly to the taller demon beside the boy.

"Lord Mard Geer... Is there anything you might need of me?" She addressed him with respect, whilst being unaware of the child beside him who was looking at her in curiosity.

Mard Geer raised his hand to put away the formality and decided to speak. "No. Not at the moment, Kyoka. I'm just here with the young master for some exploring around the castle if you don't mind."

"Not at all. You're welcome to do as you please." The woman called Kyoka nodded in confirmation before finally looking at Natsu. "Is he the one you were talking about earlier?"

A pair of eyes now turned towards the boy in anticipation. At first, Natsu thought something's wrong with the woman as he felt a bit startled by her cold hard gaze for some reason. This made him frightened as a result and immediately hid behind Mard Geer.

"Hey, Mard Geer. That lady's kinda scary." Even his voice of thought didn't go unnoticed by the woman as she jolted back for a moment from the boy's words.

"M-My deepest apologies! I didn't mean to show such an intimidating presence in front of our master. Please, if you may, I'll accept any punishment you deemed worthy for my insolence." Kyoka knelt down apologetically as she bowed her head facing the ground in front of the pinkette. The boy, on the other hand, was unsure how to deal with the situation as he stood there dumbfounded at the woman bowing down before him. He didn't even understand half of the words she just said to him as well.

Is he that really much of an important figure to her?

With Mard Geer standing by his side doing no actions as of the moment, Natsu simply looked at the kneeling woman in front of him before giving an innocent smile.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Natsu."

Kyoka, who have been kneeling for quite a while didn't expect such a response towards her as she lifted her head dumbfounded in front of the boy staring at her with such an expression. She was expecting to receive some sort of punishment from him, not a sort of greeting.

"E-Eh?"

"Umm... Your name is Kyoka, right?" Natsu pulled up a hand under his chin with a pondering thought.

"Y-Yes... How rude of me to not even introduce myself."

"It's fine. It's not that I've not heard it earlier. I was just surprised since you looked scary at first. Sorry about that." He laughed half-heartedly while scratching his head.

"N-No, you don't have to apologize, Natsu-sama. It's my fault that I've given you some discomfort."

Though while she continued to express her mistake, Natsu seemed fine about the whole exchange.

"Also, can you call me Natsu? It feels weird being addressed like that." He added, noticing the stunned look on the woman's face.

Mard Geer smiled wryly.

Clearly, this was just as the same as earlier. Even he had to look away when Kyoka turned to him for answers, ultimately heeding to the boy's request in the end. Though it gave him joy when she accepted his request which is all the while wholesome for their conversation.

"I'm touring him to the other sections of the guild. If I may, let us be on our way. You may continue your conversations with Kyoka at a later time." Mard Geer said, urging to press forward on the tour in which the pinkette nodded in response.

The boy looked back at the woman with a warm smile. "Let's play again next time, Kyo-neesan."

The two left the premises without interruption, leaving a rather stunned Kyoka who was staring at the distance.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

After making their way to the left past the giant hallway, the two had now stumbled to a smaller room. Unlike the previous room, this one is merely decorated with stone bricks, similar to that of a medieval fort. In the center was a collection of devices, operated through a series of giant tubes plastered on the walls from both left and right. A giant screen was seen on a platform with interfaces, making it some sort of a control room for specific purposes.

The pair arrived at the south entrance, spotting the interior of the room much to Natsu's excitement.

"Wooooooaaaaaaahhhhhh! What is this place?" Natsu awed, looking around at the machinery working around him continuously as this is the first time he'd seen one.

Though as he was marveling at the room, an unfamiliar voice resounded within the high chair placed at the center of the control room.

"Ara ~ I didn't expect you two here in this place?"

Behind the seat was another woman with similar features as that of Kyoka in terms of her physique.

One feature that stood out from her, however, was two large golden horns protruding from the side of her head. Upon her head, she wears a white band that separates her bangs in a curtain-like fashion, preventing it from covering her facial features.

She appears to have black eyes and silky dark purple hair that stretches all the way down to her back. An odd-looking symbol was seen on her forehead, typically resembling some sort of meaning from an unknown language or so.

Unlike Kyoka's reserved outfit, hers resembled a light set of clothes as she wears a rather revealing beige-colored leopard-printed kimono. The kimono is wrapped around her dark green torso with a thick decorative ribbon that ties around her back. On her footwear was nothing but a pair of thigh-high socks that revealed her heels and toes.

The woman swiveled her chair as the two came into view, meeting them with a rather elegant bow.

"For what pleasure do I owe for garnering your presence, Lord Mard Geer?" She voiced out with elegant words, prompting the other demon to simply raise his hand dismissively to remove formalities.

"Cease the formal greeting, Sayla. I've come here to show our young master the home to which he is belonged to. I hope you don't mind the intrusion." He offered.

"Of course! Natsu-sama is welcome to tour around and learn in his surroundings. I would be glad to take his role as his guardian in case of your absence." Her eyes now fell to the boy hiding behind his caretaker's coat. A sense of caution was given towards her by the pinkette as if a bad turn of events might ensue should he ever get too close to her.

Of course, the boy never voiced out his uncomforting feeling around the other female Etherious and simply stayed silent throughout the conversation.

Moreover, now that she looked at it carefully, he seemed a lot cuter than she expected.

Sayla noticed this and merely lowered her tone of voice. One that carried a dignified and merciless voice was now but a tone of gentleness and tender-loving that made it seem like she was a completely different person.

"You don't have to be afraid. I'm not here to scare you." She said to him, causing him to finally loosen his hold on the coat and slowly step out from hiding to meet the female demon with no fear.

"I'm Natsu... And you are?"

"Ara ~ I'm Sayla. Your loyal servant. It's good that Natsu-sama is doing fine and good spirits. If you have something in your mind, please don't hesitate to share it with me. I'm rather fond of reading stories, you see." She smiled.

"Stories?"

"Yup! If you want, I'd be happy to read one for you if you have the time. Better yet, I seem to have nothing on my plate at the moment. Maybe we could go to my room and we could―"

"Ahem!"

A sudden cough briefly went past of her conversation as Sayla looked towards Mard Geer with a rather complicated look. Her breathing was slowly above normal and there was a clear sign that letting her go on could probably trouble the young master.

Even her tame attitude is slowly showing signs of deep passion that is not meant for the pinkette at this very moment.

Because of this, Mard Geer had to make sure that he straightened her out and rather focus on the more serious part of the conversation.

"A-Apologies. I seem to have lost there." She withdrew back. Her tone now brimming elegance once again as she shifted her attention back to the elder demon expectantly.

"Sayla. The reason I brought myself here is to know the whereabouts of the other Etherious."

Hearing that, the woman made no effort to relay the details. "Of course. It seems a lot of other demons have been yet to discover within our radar but we detected several of them that we could persuade in joining with us. However..."

Sayla paused. A slight hesitation was seen in her voice as if uncertain to even say the results in fear of disappointing him. But Mard Geer had little care of the outcome as he simply eased her fears and calmly let her proceed.

"Go on."

"Yes. It seems some of them are opposed to your cause of uniting the Etherious under our banner."

Mard Geer half-expected the response. After declaring his cause in uniting the demons under his name, several Etherious came into opposition of his unification. After all, demons are not as much friendly to the other. They exhibit extreme arrogance and pride in their nature that even a declaration of bringing together a group of demons into one single guild is laughable and unthinkable. It's a matter of one displaying complete dominance over the other in order for one to submit towards the other. The only method to actualize that was a fight to the death and demons always loved that kind of approach.

"I see... Then it can't be helped." He paused. "Thank you for your hard work, Sayla. That'll be enough for today. You may return to your own doings."

"As you wish, Lord Mard Geer." Sayla bowed neatly to his response. Mard Geer nodded in return before his eyes fell back on the impatient pinkette who seemed left out throughout the conversation, causing his light outburst.

"Ne, ne, what are you two talking about? I wanna know too." He said, placing himself between the two in interest.

"It's nothing worth noting for, young master." Mard Geer smiled, earning his pout once again. His smile turned wry as soon as Natsu's mood turned sour.

He took the moment to look back at Sayla to speak. "I'll have to accompany our young master for a bit longer. We shall discuss this with the others later."

"Of course."

With that finally settled, Mard Geer glanced back to Natsu. "Let us go, young master. We still have yet to see half of this place."

The two went on their way with the pinkette still little upset at his companion. Though it all faded after being shown to more places around the guild for him to enjoy as the tour continued on throughout the day.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

It didn't take long before Natsu had been toured to all the places around the guild. The trip was fairly enjoyable though he didn't meet with the other Etherious as he was said to be off somewhere outside the world.

This, in turn, led him curious about the said place, prompting the elder Etherious to adhere to his request.

The two arrived at the entrance of the castle. Natsu surveyed the barren landscapes before him. Large arching spikes are seen erected in front of the structure in which the two had walked through as he baffled out in awe.

Mard Geer walked collectively, unable to conceal a light smile on his face as the boy wandered around carelessly as if this was his first time seeing the outside world.

"Woooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh~" He heard Natsu muttered in amusement as he looked far beyond the barren mountains and into the blue-white skies that hovered above them.

A gentle breeze brushed past them, feeling the touch of warm air in front of him.

"Natsu-sama, I'm not sure if you're aware but this isn't the world that you perceived it to be." Mard Geer pointed out as the boy stirred his attention away from his surroundings and looked at him.

"Really?"

"Hnn..." He nodded. "This portion of the landscape is as you see, a part of your home, Plutogrim."

"Pluto... huh? Wait, this is also part of our home?!"

Mard Geer lightly made another smile at his young master's astonishment. It looks like he's gonna have some more explaining to do.

...

"Oh, I see... So this Plutogrim is somewhat... alive?" Natsu asked, after a few minutes of lecture from his caretaker about the nature of his home and his heritage. It was confusing at first but it did pay a lot for understanding about the Etherious in general.

"That's right."

"Then, this thing is my home?"

"Yes."

"And it's called an Etherious?"

"Absolutely."

"What a weird place?" Natsu flatly replied.

"Well, we did come to an agreement to look after you as you're our master. Don't worry, Plutogrim is as loyal as I am to you." Mard Geer assured. Natsu stared at his face for a moment before looking down at the ground in wonder.

"Plutogrim, huh... I guess I like that." A smile appeared on his face as he finally stood up to meet the elder demon in anticipation.

"So an Etherious... Is that what we're called?"

"Yes. We're beings born out in this world to live just like the others."

"Heeeh. Are there others like us out there?" He pointed to the vast horizon in front of them.

"Yes. Although, it might be few of us right now. I'll make sure that you'll meet them and befriend them just as you did to us." Mard Geer smiled.

"Of course! I want to meet them too. I wonder what they look like? Are they like you?"

"Probably."

"Cool! I can't wait!" He paused. "But if you're troubled by it, we don't have to hurry right now in meeting them. I'm fine with you and Kyo-nee and Sayla-neesan. You three are my family and also the other one." Natsu said so with a smile before reaching out his arms together to hug the elder demon.

This put Mard Geer by surprise, staring at the hugging boy dumbfounded.

"Family..."

Such a foreign concept was never given to him yet for some reason, he felt a light feeling in his heart after hearing that from him. Is this what humans have when they consider their other kind as something that is precious to them? He had seen them doing this kind of thing, especially to little ones when they find comfort to their parents.

Maybe it was the same for him when he considered them his own.

Whatever it is, Mard Geer felt that maybe... just maybe. It wasn't as loathing as it would seem after experiencing it. Etherious are created to be such vile creatures that don't understand the feeling of love and warmth but to Mard Geer, this scene is a testament against that false belief.

Demons are probably not that different from humans after all.

"Family. I like the sound of that." He said, reciprocating the hug.

It was not after long before the pinkette had fallen asleep in his arms. The day was already turning in for the night as the sun slowly sank over the horizon, giving off an orange hue and large shadows overhead. The tour must've drained all his energy. His breath soothed softly in the air as Mard Geer began to return to the palace, carrying him safely towards his chamber.

He laid the sleeping boy in his bed before quietly making his way back to the door. Today's was an odd experience for him. Raising him and teaching him as he grows might not be such a bad idea after all.

* * *

 ** _The next day_**

* * *

Morning came fast and Natsu was already on his feet as soon as his sleepiness got out of his system. He didn't realize he fell asleep throughout the end of the tour that he worried what had happened during his sleep.

There was no sight of Mard Geer around so he scrambled to the floor, making his way towards the door in the process.

But as he opened the door, the person he wanted to see came to his view.

"Mard Geer!"

"Good morning, young master. It seems you're already wide awake. I trust your bed was to your liking." He inquired with a smile of his own.

Natsu let out a happy grin. "It was the best. I was really tired yesterday but it was fun."

"I see..." Mard Geer shook his head in content. Looks like his company with him during the tour was evaluated excellently. After a few seconds, he changed topics as he looked at him in anticipation. "Well, now that you're woken up, there's something important that we should do."

Natsu tilted his head in confusion. "Important."

"Yes." He nodded. "A ceremony for your awakening. Although I had planned it yesterday, you were soundly asleep that I have to postpone it for this day."

"What kind of ceremony?"

Mard Geer slowly spun around in his direction. His coat swayed at the act as he urged the pinkette towards the hall. "You will see, young master. Let us go."

"Hnn..." Natsu nodded in response as the two began to walk towards the direction of the hall.

Moments later, they were led to the large hall that they had once toured yesterday. Since Natsu wasn't able to see much of the interiors of the place, his eyes now caught the sight of a large red carpet laid towards the center and into the further section where a throne seat was located. A large banner lay hanging on top of the ceiling just above the throne. In that banner was a large symbol that looked like two hammers crossed with lower lines placed on each side, seemingly attached as some sort of support.

In addition, three figures stood before the throne, aligning with each other side by side as if waiting for someone. He knew the two others from yesterday as Kyoka and Sayla while the other one is unfamiliar to him as he was told that he was away yesterday. The boy now found the chance to see him for the first time as he was a man of muscular build.

His characteristics seem to resemble that of a shark due to the angular plate covering his head and a golden armored plate in his chin that protrusions on each end. And while his face covered shark-like features, his skin, however, was a scaly hide similar to that of a Lizardman.

His clothes consisted of a dark brown open-sleeved shirt, adorned by a trimmed thick fur over his muscular chest. Underneath was a pair of loose light brown pants and a pair brown shoes for his feet.

When they came into view, the three of them turned to their direction, expecting their presence. Mard Geer made no effort to stop and pressed on before stopping in front of them with anticipation.

"The ceremony is ready, Lord Mard Geer. It is time for Natsu-sama to recognize his existence." Sayla began, earning a nod from the demon.

"Understood." He said before turning his gaze towards the third figure. "I trust your reconnaissance was a fruitful one."

The massive demon knelt lightly before him before answering. "Yes. The details of some other Etherious have been located."

"Good." With that, he looked to the side towards the confused pinkette.

His face made clear of his utter puzzlement of the situation that he could help but grip his hold tighter on his hand for safety. Mard Geer eased his worries as he knelt before him with an expectant look.

"Natsu. Do you remember what I told you during our time outside yesterday?"

"Umm... you mean, about my true nature?"

"That's right. What you're about to hear is that you're just no ordinary Etherious. This ceremony will help you understand your existence as well as your other." He said before pointing over to the empty throne laid in front of them.

Natsu quickly understood his request and simply walked towards it with Mard Geer behind him. When he was only a few inches from the throne, he examined its features. As he had no preference of throne styles, the dreaded style didn't seem to faze him from intimidation. He placed his hand on one of the arms and felt its cold, however, for some reason, his body reacted. His body temperature rose, battling the cold sensation until it was no more.

Outside, Mard Geer noticed the heat enveloping the pinkette. A small gale of wind emanated around him as the power of dragonslaying magic began to take effect alongside with the power of his Etherious.

A combination of both released a potent energy that even in the eyes of the rest of the Etherious, they could feel the pressure emitting from the boy.

Mard Geer placed a hand on his shoulder as if to ease the growing power. He noticed the boy's expression that he wasn't even aware of the pressure he was currently emitting. At that time, the growing pressure receded almost immediately as he began to speak.

"This is yours. Please sit and our ceremony will start."

"Okay." Natsu obeyed.

Mard Geer spun around, facing the three and simply began his declaration.

"Today marks the start of a new age for the Etherious. By our maker's wish, we, demons from the Book of Zeref have been given a single purpose to answer to that wish. However, our purpose now rewritten for the sake of his other wish that is to raise the strongest Etherious in existence." He said so with vigor as he placed one hand over his chest and one towards the pinkette as he continued.

"Our young master. Our great pride. We shall vow to this day to answer with unswerving loyalty. That we will never break this loyalty even until our bodies perish. In this day, we no longer answer to the Black Mage. We shall forge a new path. A new purpose!"

A single ray of light dawned from one of the windows above the hall, beckoning towards the throne as the four demons turned towards Natsu before kneeling.

"Young Master. These are your loyal servants. Today, we shall swear upon Hell of our undying loyalty." Mard Geer said as the three others began to swear fealty to him.

"Dark of the Abyss, Torafuzar. I shall devote this body of mine to you. My arms are your blades and my powers are your calamity to behold." The massive demon declared.

"Goddess of the Slave Planet, Kyoka. My devotion to you is one above all. Your enemies are my enemies. My life is your life alone. I'll be ready for any orders you may have of me, young master." Kyoka knelt with her head facing down before him.

"Goddess of the Chill Moon, Sayla. My servitude to you is limitless. Whatever you may have of me, I'll answer without hesitation. Your desires are my desires." Sayla knelt in the same fashion.

Mard Geer lifted his head towards the throne. His eyes now given a new purpose.

"Underworld King, Mard Geer Tartaros. Like the others, I'll devote myself to you... and you alone. My young master's happiness is my happiness. For the sake of our future, we shall unite all Etherious under one cause."

And that moment on, the demon guild Tartaros was created.

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it. How do you like the new developments for the four? The reason I didn't feature other Etherious, in the beginning, is that I wanted to create a story that doesn't focus on their current alias as the Nine Demon Gates. Before, they were only just demons united by Mard Geer by using END's name so in this story, I would like to create a transition to that with a little bit of Natsu in between.**

 **Of course, his powers and showcase of his capabilities as both dragonslayer and demon will be featured in the future chapters.**

 **That's it for now. I'll see you guys in the next chapter! ^^**

 **\- The wiErDos send their regards...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Heya guys. wiErD here. I'm back with a new chapter.**

 **Hope you like it ^^**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Mashima owns them all except my plots.**

* * *

 **\- The World Beyond -**

* * *

The year of X300. A year of strife and struggle was the centerpiece of what it could be described in that period. It is by no doubt a dreadful time for all living beings on Earthland. Dragons and humans wage war against each other with the help of dragons who coincide for the coexistence of the two species. The long war was raging for almost a century and fires from the skies burned away the green pastures of the land, reaching to thousands of miles. The destruction of this scale was unmeasurable and hundreds and thousands of lives were lost fighting for both sides. And around the center of all that destruction was the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia.

Mard Geer pondered on his throne as he sat there monotonously with an open thought. Hiding away from the war was already difficult enough to manage for him and his fellow Etherious. They had no reason to join whatsoever. In fact, they hardly cared about it.

With the declining abundance of Ethernano due to the flames of war, it brought them a huge advantage in concealing themselves away in the dark until now. After all, they do not entirely operate on the side of magic.

No, rather it was different.

Their powers originate by what's called Curse. A variant of magic that came from the One Magic, the root of all magic. However, they were no means similar to the traditional magic that this world is abundant to. Instead, their origins are quite different and have been created separately.

One prominent feature of this variant was its origin. Unlike most of the rest of magic that is discovered and utilized by trial and error, they're rooted in the negative emotions set forth by living beings.

Envy, greed, anger, and etc. are what caused this type of magic to appear. It could be described as something foul in nature due to its incomprehensibility to be utilized by people.

Except for the Etherious.

All the demons in the Book of Zeref use this type of magic. The creator of these curses was Natsu himself albeit indirectly due to his creation. However, it was Zeref himself who truly created the first curse due to him being inflicted by the Contradictory Curse. Suffice to say, his creations of the Etherious and their powers derived from this.

Mard Geer silently stared at the dark hallway of his room, leading back to the main throne. It had been about three weeks since his young master's coronation and the declaration that he imposed as his aide. The declaration was only directed to the other wandering Etherious and is simply limited to their race only. He made sure to deliver it via telepathy to ensure the secrecy of their guild from other parties.

The sound of his large doors opening, caught his eyes as a familiar figure ran towards him in an energetic manner.

"Mard Geer! Mard Geer!"

The elder demon's shoulders loosened at the appearance of his young master, straightening himself from his seat and watched him approach him with a smile.

"What's on your mind, young master? Are you having fun around the castle?" He asked, seeing that he'd been constantly standing beside him during the first week to make him accustomed to the place. It didn't actually take long before he finally settled in as if it was his own home. Even Kyoka and Sayla had been giving him some tours to give Mard Geer some time to rest in the meantime.

Today just happens to be his own spare time to dabble on matters outside their domain. The boy had no knowledge of the current state of the world and it's probably best for him to be kept out in the dark in hopes of hiding him from Acnologia or other potential enemies.

"It's boring! Let's go play outside! I wanna see some new things." Natsu said with a pout.

Mard Geer smiled wryly. "I understand that you want to go outside but it's better to be safe here in the meantime with the others. The world is not all that good and peaceful. There are lots of dangers that could harm you."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh? But I wanna go. Uncle Torafuzar had been going out on places, right? Why can't I?" He whined.

"U-Uncle?"

"It's what he said to refer to him if I want to talk to him anytime."

"I-I see… That's interesting." He pondered, recollecting his composure in the last second after sinking in all that information.

 _Hmm… Perhaps I should also ask for something like that as well._

He thought as he examined the uncontrollable boy in front of him. For him to actually give out such things for Torafuzar was quite weird in a sense, however, it was actually Torafuzar's consent that gave him the most shock of all.

He never thought of the cold demon to desire something as to be called an uncle from his master. On the other hand, it gave him a perspective on how Natsu tries to view them as someone from his family. Perhaps it's because of his lack of interaction on a family made him want to refer to them as part of his.

He remembered at that time when they went out of Plutogrim for the first time and Natsu had given him a sense of longing that changed him completely. Well, not all but it was still something that he learned after interacting with him during those times.

The desire to be part of a family was something new to them but it certainly didn't hurt them in a way they were meant to be. They're still demons but it's not really wrong for them to have something trivial as being a family.

Mard Geer kept those thoughts into consideration before turning back on the boy with attentive eyes.

"So can I go outside?"

"Absolutely no."

"Whyyyy?!"

"Because it's for your own safety."

"But I'm not powerless. You said it back then when you put me on that weird chair on the hallway." He complained.

Mard Geer was now conflicted. Who knew that baby-sitting turned out to be such a hard task for someone like him. While it's true that he could easily compensate by training him with his powers right now, he figured that doing so would impede his growth as a normal person. Coupled with the other opposing demons that wouldn't recognize his rule as the guildmaster, it's surely seemed convincing that he should start giving him some training on his nature as both a dragonslayer and an Etherious.

Releasing a sigh, he turned to the displeased boy in front of him with anticipation. "Alright, I guess we should probably start on doing that."

The boy in question tilted his head in confusion, losing track of the conversation. "Start on what?"

Mard Geer stood up from his throne and slowly walked back to the entrance, urging the boy to follow.

Natsu wordlessly got off from his feet and followed the elder demon beside him as they make their way back to the main section of the castle where they once held their coronation for him.

They both stopped in their tracks when they saw Kyoka as well as Sayla who was idling by at the empty throne room. Their eyes darted towards the approaching two, seeing the little boy as well much to their delight.

"Ara, Lord Mard Geer, and Young Master. Is there anything you might need of us today?" Sayla began with a hearty smile.

"Nothing too serious as you can see, I'm just about making some plans on training our young master here about his nature as an Etherious. I suppose you two could help me on that matter." He said without much of a change in his tone.

The two females merely looked at each other for a moment before looking back with determined faces.

"We'll be glad to help."

Mard Geer nodded in response before turning back to the pinkette who was just now informed of what they're going to do today.

"Training? Is it something about fighting?"

"Yes. While you're aware of your nature, you're still not realizing the potential hidden inside you. In due time, you will be facing a lot of enemies that might come for your throne and you must show them the worth of your title as the strongest of them all." He explained.

"Hmm… I don't get it." Natsu pondered heavily on that subject.

"Simply put, young master. There are bad people who are not friendly with you and will come attacking against you depending on the situation. It's better to have you train so that you can also fight in the face of such predicament. Although, it would be preferable if you can pulverize them with your power for sullying your authority." Kyoka answered callously.

Mard Geer inwardly sighed at the conversation. This is probably one of the reasons why he was having a hard time raising Natsu normally. The influence of some of Kyoka and Sayla's ruthless beliefs are putting a bad rubbing on the boy's thinking. There were a couple of times where they would share some unnecessary wordings and philosophies condemning humans to him that he strangely accepted much to his dismay.

He had been continuously reprimanding the two of their influence on the kid but none of that seems to work and would always find the time to share their twisted outlooks to him from time to time.

Even Natsu had taken root of their beliefs, calling humans weak and someone below them that is certainly befitting for an Etherious. However, they were not called to act necessarily on that manner towards humans. Fortunately for him, Natsu wasn't all that accepting and had sometimes argued with his own point of view about the humans.

As someone brought first on the human side, he carries a trait of empathy just like them which is something that the demons lack until now.

He shot a dark glare on the woman who flinched in the process without Natsu noticing it.

"Really? Are there people like that?"

"Of course, although we would never hold the candle of becoming like them. After all, young master is young master. Such a little one who is capable of ruling over us is something that we desire from the start." Sayla joined in.

Mard Geer didn't like her tone of voice as much as the other woman.

"Aaaah~ For Natsu-sama to be so strong and powerful in his prime years just makes me so excited. I personally think that we should train to become more of that. Aaah, I can't take the time when you develop into a fine master for all of us. For me~"

"Okay, that's enough chatter. Cease your thoughts, Sayla." Mard Geer intervened before she could even proceed further.

Turning his topic back to where it was, he straightened himself with a light cough before speaking. "As you can see, this training is something that would be beneficial to you in the long run. To be able to fight just like us, you can become stronger to be able to rely only on yourself. Being the leader of this guild means that you have to exercise your power as the true master of all."

"Is that so? Do Etherious love fighting?" He asked.

"In a sense but fighting alone will not get you anywhere. There are a lot of things to learn in order to gain attention and respect from other Etherious who don't conform to our beliefs. One day, you'll be subjected to a battle to show who's worthy of befitting the title of the strongest Etherious in existence. A battle for complete dominance."

Natsu pondered yet again.

"Can I be a great Etherious just like you?"

"Without a doubt. I can assure that you'll be even more than that. You'll be an existence that will surpass anyone even gods themselves. That's just how you're special to us, young master."

"Whoooooaaaaaa… Awesome. Yosh, now I'm all fired up!"

The three demons looked at each other in content as they proceed to their first training for the kid. The group had set out towards the new section of the castle where they arrived at a large training room. The walls of the area were mostly medieval and made with cobblestones which is much similar to the control room but what surprises it is its unnatural spacious area.

Coming from the part where the room was at the corner of the castle, the area inside was bigger than expected. It could even serve as a storage room of many items. Ranging up to several kilometers wide, it's a perfect place for a training ground and it just so happens to be their own as the group went inside.

Natsu baffled amazingly at the large space surrounding the interior. The ceiling of the room was also kilometers wide that it could rival Plutogrim's current size.

"Woah! It's sooooooo huuuugggeeee! It's awesome in here!" He ran merrily, examining the large area of space around him in awe.

Mard Geer and the other two paced from behind, watching as they watched their young master in the distance. Soon afterward, Natsu returned to them with sparkling eyes.

"Are we gonna train here?"

"Yes. This is our training room. For all of us Etherious where we test out our curses and develop the strongest spells as possible. This is the place where you will develop your own skills and powers befitting that of the strongest Etherious."

"This is kinda cool! It's kinda weird how big it is from the inside." Natsu expressed his feelings about the place to which Mard Geer explained through the use of convenient technique to enlarge interiors than that of its exterior space.

After a few moments of marveling the place, the group eventually went down to business with Mard Geer appearing before the boy while the other two stayed behind to watch in anticipation of the start of their training.

"Okay, before we could start, there are some things that you should keep in mind regarding your powers, young master."

"This again… Come on, let's go and fight! I wanna go fight some strong creatures!" Natsu punched the air in excitement.

"It's good that you're excited but you have to at least be aware of what you have as an Etherious and what makes you different from us. About your own curse and how it differs from the rest of others." He insisted, much to the boy's displeasure.

Every time something new was introduced to him, Mard Geer would always give out instructions and lectures to him that would go on and on. I swear that he acts as if like a doting brother to him and shown to be overprotective at some cases when talking to other Etherious.

That's one thing that irritated him but not to the point of resentment. Just annoying. Still, most of his reprimands make sense that he cannot afford to fire back with a response which ultimately led him to listen throughout his lecture without pause.

He groaned in response but kept his composure as he was being given information about his powers as time progressed.

He learned that he was not just blessed with a curse but also a magic as well which was a different form of power that most of the world's inhabitants use. Although he was taught how it was inferior to his other power, it was something that is a form of a lost magic. A rare form of magic that is not commonly acquired from this world.

Dragonslayer Magic. A magic to slay dragons. No one knew how he inherited it but it is said that only those people who were taught by a dragon themselves acquire this power however, he learned that this magic can be passed down through lacrima without even the teachings of the dragons themselves.

Mard Geer had said that he was given with this magic through lacrima as means of a further compatibility to his now acquired curse.

E.N.D.

The name that his curse was named but also the name of his nature as an Etherious. The nature of his curse was fire, one of the world's destructive elements and his control over it with the help of Dragonslayer Magic was a perfect combination in utilizing its full potential.

The flames of a dragon and a demon combined to a single form are as potent and powerful as that of any curse that originates in the concept of time and command. As he was the strongest creation in existence, his usage of both these types of powers can make him a versatile demon.

Natsu took in consideration of those teachings as he listened through Mard Geer's teachings about his powers.

"Oh, so I have these two powers inside me?"

"Yes. Both of them are inherited to you and it's your choice whether to choose which you want comfortable most."

"Is that so? Both are kinda cool though. I wanna try doing both!" He exclaimed excitedly.

"As you wish, however, I advise you to focus on one part of your powers for now rather than using both. You're still inexperienced so there's no telling what will happen should your powers ran out of control." Mard Geer advised with a mindful eye towards him.

Natsu nodded willfully without saying much of a word. Truth be told, this is the first time he would be able to utilize his powers. He had no recollection of using any of his powers since the time of his awakening so it's natural for him to refrain from using his powers recklessly without learning to control it.

As soon as they finished putting up instructions and cautions, Mard Geer proceeded with the first training as he stepped up in front of the pinkette, facing him in the opposite direction. He lifted his right hand and without warning, large thorns began to sprout out from the ground around him, forming into some sort of chair that awed the pinkette after witnessing it.

"Woah…"

"This is one of my curses. Thorn Curse. It uses the ability to summon thorns from anywhere and move them according to my will." He slowly walked over to the makeshift seat and sat there and stared at the pinkette in expectation. "Each of us Etherious have our own curses that made us formidable against all other beings. Our powers reign superior to magic in terms of versatility. And it grows ever stronger if we're ever found ourselves influenced by negative emotions."

"So that means…"

"The more we conjure emotions, the more potent our curse become, especially to negative ones. This is the edge that curses have in magic. We utilize our emotions to enhance our curse to its fullest extent. However, we limited ourselves in using emotions too much as it would bring unwanted disasters and destruction." He explained.

"Why?"

"Because our curses are too powerful to handle. Imagine my curse being able to destroy huge patches of areas with just sprouting limitless thorns everywhere. If we're influenced by such negative emotions, the effects tend to release too much power that can easily destroy lands."

"I-I see… So it's a double-edged sword." Natsu took heed of the consequence involved.

"Now you're beginning to understand why we don't reveal too much emotion. Our powers are heavily influenced to the wielder's feelings and its surroundings. If the place is filled with malice, our powers grow stronger. When there's too much of it, it will grow so much that even we demons ourselves won't have control over it. That's how powerful it is." Mard Geer reminded.

"I see…" Natsu replied meekly. His face showing uncertainty whether using his powers or not.

"Worry not. I'm not saying that you're forbidden to use your powers. I am only reminding you of the weight of the power us Etherious carry. We have the power to shape landscapes, form disasters and destroy cities. It is within your choice whether to use it. After all, we cannot afford to hold back against those who seek to do harm to us now wouldn't we?"

"I-Is that so?"

"That's right, young master! And if they ever come, they'll have to face my wrath and face punishment for laying their hands on you." Kyoka swore.

"As I should as well, young master. I'll crush whatever vile creature who dares to question your authority as guildmaster of Tartaros!" Sayla answered with the same conviction.

Natsu stared at the two Etherious who expressed their undying loyalty to him. While he still doesn't understand the circumstances of his upbringing, seeing someone standing by him brought a sense of relief.

Mard Geer noticed this and also expressed his desire to protect him.

"Don't worry, young master. We're all here for you. Whatever comes in your way, we'll be there to deal with it."

"I see. Thanks, you three." Natsu smiled sincerely.

"Now, let's not dillydally any longer. It's time we train you to use your powers. Are you ready, young master?"

"Yes!"

Standing from his seat, Mard Geer faced the pinkette with the same expression as they started their first training.

"Image your power right into your body and focus. Manifest the power of the dragon and demon!"

"Yes!"

"Take all everything you felt in this experience and learn from it!"

"I'm all fired up!"

* * *

 **…**

* * *

After training, Natsu was able to manifest his powers for the first time ever. The first training session that he had with Mard Geer was more than enough to show that he had acquired experience and full grasp of his own power.

His first opponents were Kyoka and Sayla. And while he had no idea how to utilize it for the first time, he easily understood how to use both powers with ease and even put up a fight against the two Etherious before accepting defeat due to their difference in strength.

He wasn't exactly sure why Mard Geer would pit him against two of them at the start which was seemingly an overkill even for a kid like him. Was he expecting him to actually take down all two of them even without knowing anything at all?

Well, his expectation wasn't exactly disappointed but rather satisfying, to say the least after noticing the content look written on his face before leading him back to his room. The boy had been shifting around in his bed, unable to sleep due to the excitement he felt during their first spar. And while he lost, he felt some sense of accomplishment battling with Kyoka and Sayla.

His training will continue every day from now on and he couldn't wait to see how much he can fight just like Kyoka and Sayla did.

Eventually, his sleepiness caught up and unknowingly fell asleep as the night progressed.

…

Somewhere just outside his room, Mard Geer stood in patience as he let his young master doze off to sleep. He smiled as soon as he felt him sleeping and made his way back to the training room where Kyoka and Sayla had been waiting for him.

"Is he asleep?"

"He is. So what do you think of him? In terms of his power?"

"Honestly… Isn't it a bit too much?" Kyoka remarked.

"Indeed. To think that he was this powerful at such a young age. I can only imagine just how powerful he'll become when he grows up." Sayla said with a mindful tone.

"Such is the power of the strongest Etherious created by Zeref himself. This is to be expected of him and this is just the start of his training. I believe that he'll surpass the demons in no time as well as Acnologia in the future." He noted, taking another brief glance at the destruction around him which was once the training room or at least, what's happened to it. Large holes and craters resulted at the spar that made it seem like the tidy place had been turned into a disaster.

Mard Geer narrowed his eyes as he thought at the dormant potential Natsu possessed. He just started training and this was his first impression on the battlefield. He forgot to tell him to hold back as this was only a short test to see how he can grasp his powers at this time of age. The results exceeded his expectations, even baffling the other two who had to give a bit of seriousness in the fight to subdue him completely. And while they didn't mind savoring their victory, the fact that their young master was able to force them to get serious was a shocking factor.

If he's trained steadily as he is right now, his mastery in skills and powers might come sooner than later. However, he had been instructed to keep him safe until the prophesized time period to come. There was no need to hasten the boy's manifestation of his potential.

At the same time, the name brought into their conversation came to notice by the other two female demons who pondered in response to his previous statement.

"Acnologia, huh?" Kyoka muttered.

"The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse. I've heard that he still somewhere on this continent." Sayla turned to Mard Geer with a rather ominous look.

"Indeed. It seems he has caught wind of young master's existence. And while I'm convinced that he won't be able to locate us, I doubt that he'll leave it as it is." Mard Geer added.

"What do you mean?" Kyoka asked.

"Natsu is just as powerful as that foul dragon. And that accursed dragon sees him as a potential threat. He'll do any means necessary to eliminate those who dare stand in his path to complete annihilation." He reasoned.

"Are we going to war against that dragon?" Kyoka's eyes darkened. The bloodcurdling sensation was immediately felt within her, seeing the threat being imposed on the pinkette.

"No, that dragon is currently beyond ours. I'd like to avoid any unnecessary attention be brought to us, lest it would lead to our young master's life in danger. We should focus on bolstering our forces and solidify our numbers that can challenge any adversaries. Right now, we are not an army. I'd like you two to remember that when going outside." He advised, earning him a bow from the two of them.

"Yes, Lord Mard Geer!"

"Now then, I believe it is time." He said, causing the two to look at each other in confusion.

"What is it, Lord Mard Geer?"

"I'll be leaving Plutogrim for awhile. I'll be entrusting our young master's care to the two of you. I have some business I needed to attend to at this moment. I'll be back in the first sunrise."

"Of course. We'll do our duties to the best of our abilities. You will not disappoint." Kyoka and Sayla swore with their hands placed on their chests as a sign of swearing fealty.

The demon nodded and gracefully spun around towards the hallway leading outside. His coat floated alongside with his movements. He took a brief stop as he was mere inches away from the giant doors of the guild, taking a glimpse back at the two with a mindful look.

"Well then, I'm off."

The doors slowly opened and the demon quickly dashed away to the outside as he flew high away from the cuboidal base and into the vast stretch of green landscape before him. The cold winds of the night blew softly as he traveled miles after miles in just a span of a few minutes. His eyes dead set on the horizon where his objective is located at.

If he's gonna make a guild that would be filled with other people for Natsu, he'll have to go out and recruit other reasonable Etherious who can be persuaded to join their cause. It might be a stretch but it's a promise that he wanted to fulfill to his young master in pursuit of his happiness.

He took mindful of that memory he had and locked his eyes once again as the night stretches on throughout the dark world.

This mission is going to be a very long task.

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it, folks! We have ourselves a start. As you can see, the setting is still at the pre-time skip of the canon timeline where Natsu was never included in the dragon's plan to travel to the future. Instead, he will live with his guild throughout the years and the story will be covering some recurring characters that will be included in the future chapters.**

 **On another note, I want to give Mard Geer some more screentime on the upcoming chapters as he was an interesting character to explore. It's a bit of a shame that he was only there as the villain in the canon to be used conveniently for further character development for Gray and Natsu. This time, I'd like to redeem him as one of the most important characters in the story as well as one of the main connection with Natsu in terms of family.**

 **That's all for now, I'll see you all in the next chapter ^^**

 **\- The wiErDos send their regards…**


End file.
